An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language Part 72

BIGS, Barbour, xix. 392. Pink. ed. Leg. ~Lugis~.

BIKE, BYKE, BEIK, _s._

1. A building, an habitation, S.

_Gawan and Gol._

2. A nest or hive of bees, wasps, or ants, S.

_Douglas._

3. A building erected for the preservation of grain; Caithn.

_Pennant._

4. Metaph. an a.s.sociation or collective body; S.

_Lyndsay._

_To skail the byke_, metaph. to disperse an a.s.sembly of whatever kind; S.

Isl. _biik-ar_ denotes a hive, alvear; and Teut. _bie-bock_, _bie-buyck_, apiarium, alvearium, Kilian. The Isl. word is probably from Su. G. _bygg-a_, to build, part. pa. _bygdt_; q. something prepared or built. There seems to be no reason to doubt that the word, as used in sense 2, is the same with that denoting a habitation. For what is a _byke_ or _bee-bike_, but a building or habitation of bees?

BYK, Apparently, an errat. for _byt_, bite.

_Dunbar._

BYKAT, BEIKAT, _s._ A male salmon; so called, when come to a certain age, because of the _beak_ which grows in his under jaw; Ang.

BILBIE, _s._ Shelter, residence; Ang.

This, I apprehend, is a very ancient word. It may be either from Su.G. _byle_, habitaculum, and _by_, pagus, conjoined, as denoting residence in a village; or more simply, from _Bolby_, villa primaria; from _bol_, praedium, and _by_, a village. Thus _bolby_ would signify a village which has a _praedium_, or territory of its own, annexed to it.

BILEFT, _pret._ Remained, abode.

_Sir Tristrem._

A. S. _belif-an_, superesse, to remain; Alem. _bilib-en_, Franc, _biliu-en_, manere; Schilter.

BILGET, _adj._ Bulged, jutting out.

_Douglas._

Su. G. _bulg-ia_, to swell, whence Isl. _bylgia_, a billow. Or, Isl. _eg belge_, curvo; _belgia huopta_, inflare buccas.

_To_ BILL, _v. a._ To register, to record.

_Bp. Forbes._

BILLIE, BILLY, _s._

1. A companion, a comrade.

_Minstrelsy Border._

2. Fellow, used rather contemptuously, S. synon. _chield_, _chap_.

_s.h.i.+rrefs._

3. As a term expressive of affection and familiarity; S.

_Ramsay._

4. A lover, one who is in suit of a woman.

_Evergreen._

Still used in this sense, S. B.

5. A brother, S.

_Minstrelsy Border._

6. Apparently used in allusion to brotherhood in arms, according to the ancient laws of chivalry.

_Minstrelsy Border._

7. A young man. In this sense it is often used in the pl. _The billies_, or, _the young billies_, S. B.

It is expl. "a stout man, a clever fellow," Gl. s.h.i.+rr.

8. Sometimes it signifies a boy, S. B. as synon. with _callan_.

_Ross._

It is probably allied to Su. G. Germ. _billig_, Belg. _billik_, equalis; as denoting those that are on a footing as to age, rank, relation, affection, or employment.

BILLIT, _adj._ "Shod with iron," Rudd. _Billit ax_.